A program to study the synthesis of potential antitumor agents is described. A five year program is proposed. Ten goal systems, all of interest in cancer chemotherapy are defined. They are (i) an expeditious entry to the cephalotarine-harringtonine series (ii) a synthesis of anguidine (iii) a synthesis of bactobolin, (iv) a synthesis of the aliphatic portion of the maytansinoids, (v) a synthesis of the aureolic acids, (vi) a synthesis of the anthracycline sugars (vii) a synthetic route to the vineomycin antitumor series (ix) a synthesis of the mitomycins and (x) the synthesis of a tetracyclic camptothecin analog. As part of this study, a variety of new cyclization methods and new strategies for stereospecific synthesis will be investigated.